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Ving the water tube embedded therein.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

GEORGE F. ELLS, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

j WATER BAN DAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,568, dated July 4,1893.-

Application filed November 8. 1892. Serial No. 451.403. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. ELLS,a citizen of the United States,residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Bandages, of whichthe following is a specification, reference beinghad therein totheaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to bandages for cooling or for heating any partof apersons body, in a clean, uniform and reliable manner by means ofwater made to circulate through suitably coiled rubber tubes; and theobjects of my improvement are to so protect, inclose, or to support theflexible tubes by the material of the bandage that they cannot besuiieiently compressed and liattened by the weight of a person restingon said bandage, to prevent the flow of water therethrough. I attainthese objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a front view of a water-bandageconstructed in accordance with myinvention; the upper end of the tube ofsaid bandage being connected with a reservoir provided with means toheat the contents, and the lower end leading into a Water receivingpail. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the bandage on a larger scale. Fig. 3is a cross section of a modification of said bandage. Fig. 4 isaperspective view of a portion of a bandage show- Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section of a iiexible tube adapted for use with thebandage.

In said drawings, A represents a jacket, to which is suitably attached aflexible india rubber tube B, for example, by means of looped stitchesof thread or silk passed over the tube and through the material of thejacket. The upper end of the tube is attached to the faucet c of areservoir O mounted upon a suitable stand or bracket D placed'at ahigher level than the jacket. Under the reservoir, there is a lamp d,that can be lighted to maintain the water in the reservoir C at auniform temperature, said temperature being easily ascertained by meansof at-hermometer c2 placed in said reservoir. The lower end of the tubeB, is conducted in abucket E, adapted to receive the water that is madeto circulate slowly through said tube, the lower` end of the lattervbeing also provided with a faucet e.

Although the bandage in Fig. l is in the form of aj acket, it may be ofany desired form to cover any part of the body of a person, and so faras now described, the bandage or apparatus is not broadly new. But myimprovement consists in peculiar means to insure the proper working ofsaid apparatus and prevent the compression and closing of the tube bythe weight of a person, if placed thereon. To prevent said compression,the jacket or bandage consists of a sheet of felt A2 having a series ofgrooves or gutters a arranged in a spiral or a serpentine order, and ofsufficient depth to nearlyembed or wholly embed the tube B. The latteris furthermore retained in position within the grooves by the stitches bas above stated. To strengthen the sheet of felt, or permit a thinnersheet to be used, a sheet of cotton cloth or of flannel CL2, is sewed orcemented to either the bottom only of the felt as shown in Fig. 2, or tothe top and bottom of the felt as shown in Fig. 3. Substantially thesame resultscan beobtained, by first securing the coils of the tube B tothe backing of the textile material a2 at suitable distances apart, andfilling the interstices between said coils with strips of felt as shownat a3 at Fig. 8, said strips being also sewed or cemented to the backingor inclosing sheets of flannel.

To prevent the tube B from collapsing or becoming flattened where it ismade to take short bends, or where it is made to pass over thepreviously packed coils, said portions of the tube are either incased ina spiralof brass or aluminium wiref as shown in Fig. l, or said wirespiral is placed in the tube B, as shown atf2 in Fig. 5.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a water bandagethe combination of a suitably coiled rubber tube, a backing of textilematerial, and felt secured to the backing between the coils of the tubesubstantially as described.

2. In a water bandage, the combination of a coiled rubber tube a textilebacking for said tube, felt retained betweenthe coils of the tube, and aspiral wire connected with said tube substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. ELLS.

Witnesses:

C. W. LooMIs, B. N. LOOMIS.

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